The 2025 NFL draft is less than two weeks away, and while there’s some clarity on who’s going No. 1 with the Tennessee Titans likely taking Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward, after that teams could go a variety of ways. One of the most polarizing prospects in this draft is Colorado Buffaloes star quarterback Shedeur Sanders who could go anywhere from the third pick to the 21st pick.
According to ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., the always swagged-out and at times brash Sanders is going ninth to the New Orleans Saints.
This was actually Kiper’s projection even before the Saints announced that current starter Derek Carr is dealing with a nagging shoulder injury that will likely require surgery, putting his 2025 season in doubt. Upon hearing that ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick tweeted this statement.
“That ninth pick gonna be all kinds of interesting.”
Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who’s also his son’s coach, quickly retweeted the statement with the infamous eyes emoji.
Shedeur Headed To The Crescent City?
Even if Carr were healthy, it would be wise for the Saints to draft a successor to the now 34-year-old signal caller who missed seven games last season due to myriad injuries, including an oblique and multiple hand injuries. Sanders, who’s the most accurate quarterback in this draft, would likely be a seamless fit for a talented Saints offense under first-year head Kellen Moore. It’s an offense that possesses running back Alvin Kamara, plus wide receivers Chris Olave, Brandin Cooks and Rasheed Shaheed.
The aforementioned Kiper, who has long raved about Sanders and even has him as his top signal caller in this draft, recently talked about about the former Jackson State and Colorado star possibly heading to the Bayou City.
“It makes perfect sense,” Kiper said in a “SportsCenter” special on ESPN2 on Tuesday. “You’ve got a new coach in Kellen Moore, you’ve got a dome team. Keep in mind that’s where Drew Brees did all his damage, right, in that dome coming off, remember that shoulder injury, that’s why Miami went Daunte Culpepper over Drew Brees. And it helped. And certainly with Shedeur Sanders, Atlanta’s a dome and you’ve got Carolina and Tampa, hopefully nice weather there.”
Sanders Says His Openness And Honesty Has Been A Mixed Bag With Teams
As the draft approaches, the dynamic gunslinger is currently doing his round robin of interviews with different franchises. Speaking with “The Insiders” on NFL Network on Thursday, the youngest of Coach Prime’s three sons didn’t hold back when discussing how those meetings have gone.
“When I go visit these coaches and when I go to all these different franchises, I ask them truly what I think and how I feel,” Shedeur said Thursday.
“Some get offended, some like it, some don’t. Make some people uncomfortable, some people invite that. They know what type of person and what type of player they’re gonna get out of me, so I just have to make sure, you know, what type of culture or what type of dynamic I’m going to have with them also,” Shedeur added.
Sanders Shined In Four Years Of College
It’s not a question of can Sanders play. His numbers speak for themselves, with the former four-star recruit passing for 14,327 yards, 134 touchdowns and just 27 interceptions over four years as a starter. His 69.5 career completion percentage ranks in the top five, including a nation-leading 74 percent this past season.
